THE majority of Premier League clubs are still planning to return to training by the middle of next week – even though it is unlikely they will be cleared to resume match action at the start of April.
At present games are suspended until April 4 as the sport’s bosses attempt to cope with the coronavirus outbreak sweeping the globe.
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And with official guidance still not coming from the UK government, most of the clubs are having to continue preparing for a return to match action in just over a fortnight regardless of how unlikely it seems at present.
All those plans could be thrown out of the window today depending on the outcome of the Premier League’s emergency board meeting where extending the shutdown is being discussed.
At present all but two clubs suspended usual first team training when the halt to football was announced last week, with Burnley and Tottenham the only ones carrying on as usual.
TEAM BY TEAM PLANS
Arsenal – Back Tues 24
Aston Villa – Unknown
Bournemouth – Back Monday 23
Brighton – Back Friday 19
Burnley – Training as usual
Chelsea – Back Mon 23
Crystal Palace – Training Ground closed until Wednesday 25
Everton – Unknown
Liverpool – Unknown
Leicester – Training ground closed for the foreseeable
Man City – Unknown
Man Utd – Players told to train alone for the foreseeable
Newcastle – Back Thursday 26
Norwich – Back Wednesday 25
Sheff Utd – Unknown
Southampton – Ordered to train at home
Tottenham – Training as usual
Watford – Back Friday 19
West Ham – Training ground closed for the foreseeable
Wolves – Back Thursday 18
Wolves are due to report back for training as usual on Thursday while Watford and Brighton are gearing up to resume activity at their headquarters on Friday.
Arsenal and Chelsea – the two clubs who have reported positive Covid-19 tests – are looking at being back to work as usual early next week.
Frank Lampard’s squad will have cleared their isolation periods after Callum Hudson-Odoi’s test in time to be back at Cobham on Monday.
And the Gunners, who saw boss Mikel Arteta taken ill, expect to re-open their London Colney base by the weekend in time for the players to report back from their isolation periods on Tuesday.
Yet there are a number of teams who have taken the decision to shut their training grounds for the foreseeable future and order their players to do fitness work on their own.
Manchester United, West Ham and Southampton are among those who have no set date for when they will call their squads together again as a group.
All clubs insist they are following the medical advice from Public Health England to ensure they are doing everything that would prevent the spread of the illness.
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